Dr. Brian Zoellner received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He found himself applying at UNF when he recognized its unique balance between having the resources necessary for research and working closely with students in the classroom. Before he came to UNF, Dr. Zoellner taught high school science and coached football, a job he would have enjoyed continuing had he not found a career in academia. Now he is the Graduate Program Director and Advising Coordinator for the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.

He sums up his program as being, “designed for practicing teachers and emphasizes personal theorizing and action research on classroom practice to influence practical and curricular decision making.”

Dr. Zoellner’s advice for the budding academic is, “Being able to map the field. Knowing the influential thinkers, being able to put their ideas in context, finding your niche in the field, and then figuring out which ones are most useful to advancing a research program.”

On A Personal Note:

What do you do when you need a break from students and research?

I still really love coming to work… I would call it more of a striking a balance… I like to be on the road with my wife. Last summer I was able to drive to Wisconsin and Colorado (in one trip) visiting friends and family, spending time outside, and seeing a lot of baseball.